Genetic characterization of Drosophila Mi-2 ATPase

Mammalian Mi-2, an auto-antigen for dermatomyositis, is known to be an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent nucleosome remodelling factor. The Drosophila homologue of Mi-2 (dMi-2) gene is located at 76D5-6 on the left arm of the third chromosome and is transcribed into two alternate transcripts (dMi-2a and dMi-2b). Both transcripts are present at high levels in the ovary and during the first 8 h of embryogenesis when detected by Northern blot analysis. The localization of protein was nuclear, which is consistent with its proposed function as a component of the chromatin remodelling complex. Several lines of recessive mutants including mutations in dMi-2 were isolated and classified into four different complementation groups. Four alleles of dMi-2 mutants were further characterized in molecular nature; dMi-2(BL1) was found to have a mutation in the ATP-binding motif of the ATPase domain, dMi-2(BL7) in the core histidine of the first plant homeodomain zinc finger and dMi-2(BL12) in a conserved serine in the chromodomain. On the other hand, dMi-2(BL3) did not have any change in the coding region. The expression pattern of dMi-2 and the embryonic lethal phenotypes of mutants indicate that dMi-2 is essential for embryonic development in Drosophila melanagaster.